Laurel’s TV Picks

Best Bets:

New Men in Trees (ABC, 7pm)
New Friday Night Lights (NBC, 8pm)
New Women’s Murder Club (ABC, 8pm – 9:02pm)
New Numb3rs (CBS, 9pm)
New Blood Ties (Lifetime, 10pm)
Bill Murray, Jay-Z on The Late Show with David Letterman (CBS, 10:35pm)
Lots of good guests on late night talk shows (see below)

News & Notes

Thanks to those who have emailed, made donations, or sent gifts recently. I’ve been having a hard time of it and these things really do brighten my days.

There’ll be another contest next week, this time we’re giving away season one of Dexter, I should have the details on Monday.

Friday Daytime

Josh Duhamel (of Las Vegas), kid inventors on The Ellen DeGeneres Show (syndicated, check your local listings).

Jerry O’Connell (of Carpoolers, Crossing Jordan), “make over your undergarments” (I think they mean buying more attractive ones, not embellishing existing underpants), buffalo chicken chili on The Rachael Ray Show (syndicated, check your local listings).

“Bodyville: Women and Body Image, part 2″ on The Tyra Banks Show (syndicated, check your local listings). The discussion continues. “The women change out of their body suits and into their own clothes to talk more about the harsh judgments they were forced to make.”

“Oprah’s Great American Haircut” on Oprah (syndicated, check your local listings). 100 haircuts are done at Harpo Studiois in 48 hours. Wow! And Oscar winner Hillary Swank is among those getting a new haircut on the show.

“Teacher Sex Scandal, Part 2″ on Dr. Phil (syndicated, check your local listings). More on the case of teacher Joelle Ogletree.

Primetime Grid:

Primetime:

NBA action on ESPN.

Men in Trees (ABC, 7pm) moves into a new timeslot tonight, some might say that it’s back where it belongs. I’m just happy that there’s now a show in the Friday at 7pm slot that I like a lot, I’d hate for people to resort to watching Ghost Whisperer (CBS, 7pm) out of desperation. I’ve seen tonight’s episode of Men in Trees and it’s a fun one. Marin simultaneously throws a bachelor party for Patrick and a bachelorette party for Annie and things get a bit wild at both. Sara continues to see that pastor (played by Nicolas Lea, who’ll always be Krycek to me). And Jack is really nice to Marin which makes her a bit uncomfortable.

The field is narrowed down to 10 bands on The Next Great American Band (FOX, 7pm – 9pm)>

Coach Taylor finally returns to Dillon and it’s a welcome thing on Friday Night Lights (NBC, 8pm). You knew it had to happen eventually.

Women’s Murder Club (ABC, 8pm – 9:02pm) has improved significantly since the first episode, in case you weren’t won over by that one. This episode features a case involving contaminated drugs which are traced back to somewhere you wouldn’t expect. Robert Picardo (of Voyager, China Beach and Orson Bean are among the guest stars in tonight’s episode.

Mick hunts a vampire from Josef’s past on Moonlight (CBS, 8pm).

Boy is Flash Gordon (Sci-Fi, 8pm – 9:03pm) bad or at least that was my impression from the first couple of episodes. Are any of you watching it? Has it improved? Worth another look? The commercials haven’t inspired me to check back in.

A woman who is in the witness protection program is killed and a secret about Don comes out on Numb3rs (CBS, 9pm).

A virus infects just about everybody on Stargate: Atlantis (Sci-Fi, 9:03pm and 11:05pm). McKay can’t remember who he is.

Delinda campaigns for better treatment of exotic dancers in Las Vegas (NBC, 9pm).

Late Night

New episode of Blood Ties (Lifetime, 10pm). Based on the books by Tanya Huff. Henry discovers another vampire is hunting in his territory and Vicki allows Coreen to help her with a case.

Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO, 10pm). Bill Maher welcomes comedian Martin Short, journalist Alison Stewart and blogger Markos Moulitsas. Plus, via satellite, fmr. CIA agent Valerie Plame with her husband ret. diplomat Joe Wilson and journalist Jeremy Scahill.

Bill Murray, Jay-Z on The Late Show with David Letterman (CBS, 10:35pm).

“Manny Being Manny” Baseball Alert! Steve Carell, Manny Ramirez (of the Boston Red Sox), Backstreet Boys on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (NBC, 10:35pm).

“Big Papi” Baseball Alert! Jerry Seinfeld, David Ortiz (of the Boston Red Sox), Sondre Lerche on Late Night with Conan O’Brien (NBC, 11:37pm).

Seth Green, Yvonne Strahovski (of Chuck), Dwight Yoakam on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (CBS, 11:37pm).

Christina Applegate (of Samantha Who), Zachary Quinto (“Sylar” from Heroes), LeAnn Rimes on Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC, check your local listings).

Brittany Daniel, Talib Kweli on Last Call with Carson Daly (NBC, check your local listings).